Facebook Page or Group - Which Is Better For Your Business?

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Facebook offers a number of products and tools to individuals and companies to help them reach new audiences and grow their businesses.

Facebook Pages and groups being cases in point - these products, Pages more so, drove businesses to the social giant in large numbers. Today, it's pretty much expected that your business will have a presence on Facebook.

But which one is best for brand promotion - a Facebook Page or a Facebook group? Before you decide, let's take an in-depth look at both to ascertain their strengths.

Facebook Pages

A Facebook Page is simply a profile page dedicated to businesses, brands, celebrities, and organizations. Similar in look to the basic individual profiles of Facebook users, a Facebook Page offers a number of business-friendly features.

Facebook Pages show up in Google search - Since Facebook Pages are public, the information is easy for anyone to find and peruse. This strengthens the credibility and enhances the organic reach of a business.

People expect brands and businesses to have a Facebook Page - If you own a business, you're likely to be frequently asked two basic questions: What's your website?Can I find you on Facebook?

The profile of the owner is not what's expected in most cases, but Pages dedicated to the business itself. A Page serves a greater purpose than merely listing all the information in one place. It gives prospects a chance to gauge the personality of the brand (depending on the content posted and conversations generated), and instils faith in them about the business.

Facebook Pages are appropriate for broadcasting business-related news and other promotional material, and interacting with large sets of fans - Have a new event to declare or new deals to announce? A Facebook Page, which shows up in Google search, is an appropriate platform for this.

Facebook Groups

Unlike Pages, which tend to be focused on promotion, groups are collaborative in nature. As the name suggests, Facebook Groups serve as a rallying point or a coming together of individuals around a cause. This cause could be the promotion of a business, spreading awareness about a public issue or simply buying and selling. Anyone can make a group - I'm a member of several groups created by my family, friends and organizations that interest me.

Features include:

Members can engage in group chats.

Depending on the levels of activity within a group, direct communication fosters a community feeling among members.

Groups can be public, closed or secret. Public groups are open for anyone to join. Closed groups are invitation-only, and so are secret groups but the latter are only visible to the members. Anyone can view a closed group though they may not be able to join it.

Members can post text files to share and search within group conversations.

Pages vs. groups - which is best for brand promotion?

Now that you know the basic differences between the two, which one should you focus on and why?

Ultimately the answer will be determined by the purpose you want to achieve.

If you're looking to establish a brand and promote your business to a large number of people, a Facebook Page makes the most sense.

If you're a new or small businesses looking to establish a presence, a group can be of great help, especially if you sell niche products.

To take a business off the ground and to create a strong community feel among members early on, think of creating a Facebook group, which can ultimately help drive traffic to your Facebook Page.

It's not an either-or proposition

A group can be an add-on to a Facebook Page, but in most cases a dedicated Page is what a business needs.

If you feel your Facebook Page isn't giving you the reach you'd expected, or isn't generating user engagement, don't get disheartened. Consider setting up a group as well where you can reach members individually and create a personal equation with them.

You can also create groups for your employees to share ideas and promote teamwork.